London City Airport backs 14 East London charities with Community Fund – Including Us!
London City Airport today announced it is granting £38,000 to 14 local charities and community groups through its annual Community Fund.
To help improve the quality of life in communities across East London, the airport has awarded grants of up to £3,000 to not-for-profit organisations based across five boroughs: Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Lewisham.
Among the local recipients that have secured funding are Hackney Playbus, which brings free play and early learning opportunities directly to young children and families; Beyond Sight Loss, which helps blind and partially sighted East Londoners to build independence; and Haven House Children’s Hospice, which supports children with life-threatening conditions and their families.
Other awardees include charities which provide specialist movement and wellbeing sessions for stroke survivors, financial education for young people, free sport and mentoring activities, inclusive swimming for disabled adults and hospitality and employability training for people facing barriers to work.
Since launching in May 2019, London City Airport’s Community Fund has donated more than £637,000 to more than 200 charities and not-for-profit organisations. The fund is part of a broader, ongoing community investment scheme.
Other initiatives include the Inspire education programme, with BOSS Day and World of Work activities providing local young people with opportunities to develop employability skills, raise aspirations, build confidence and engage directly with employers. Alongside this, the airport is working with East London Business Alliance (ELBA) to deliver a pilot employment programme,“Fly High’, which connects local people with employment opportunities within aviation as well as hosting workshops and special airside tours of the airport. In addition, the next Meet the Buyer programme will take place in December, connecting local SMEs with buyers and business partners in the London Docks and building on last year’s event, which created £20 million worth of contracts for local SMEs.
Andy Cliffe, Chief Executive Officer, London City Airport says: “What stands out in this latest round of awardees is the breadth of outstanding projects being delivered by charities across East London. These grants are just part of our commitment to making a real difference in communities across East London and we look forward to seeing the impact of the funding.”
Nazmin Begum, Senior Community and Sustainability Manager, London City Airport adds: “One of the Community Fund’s strengths is the opportunity to support organisations that know what their communities need. Whether that is creating a safe place to talk about mental health, financial education or helping people to improve their physical wellbeing, these charities are turning funding into essential and practical support for local people.”
Ikram Hirse, Co-Director, Hackney Playbus said: “We’re delighted to receive support from the London City Airport Community Fund for our Summer Family Connections programme. The programme creates free, welcoming opportunities for children and families across Hackney to play, connect, and spend time together during the summer holidays. For many of the families we support, accessible activities close to home can make a real difference in reducing isolation and building stronger community connections.”
Alongside the Community Fund, London City Airport continues to support local communities closest to its operations across 13 boroughs including Bexley, Epping Forest District Council, Greenwich, Havering, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.
Further information about London City Airport’s Community Fund can be found on www.londoncityairport.com
